The Taekwondowon recently opened as a sacred place for Taekwondo, the martial art of 80 million adherents worldwide. The opening ceremony was held in Muju, Jeollabuk-do (North Jeolla Province), on September 4, heralding the historic birth of a holy place for Taekwondo.


About 3,000 people attended the opening ceremony. Ceremony attendees included Prime Minister Chung Hongwon, Second Vice Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Kim Chong, Saenuri Party Chairman Kim Moo-Sung, Representative Chung Se-kyun from the New Politics Alliance for Democracy, and members of the International Olympic Committee.

The ceremony was composed of two parts -- some performances and then the main ceremony itself. The performances involved Taekwondo demonstrations by children, as well as musical and dance performances. The main ceremony included an awards ceremony and a tour of the venue.




“The spirit of Taekwondo encompasses the body (體), recognition (認) and devotion (至). It teaches us about the courage found in an indomitable spirit and about being mindful of one's co-existence, with respect for others. These are important values for us today,” said the prime minister.

The concept of the body (體) emphasizes physical discipline through Taekwondo training. Recognition (認) implies benevolence, as the adherent keeps learning about values while continuing his training. Finally, devotion (至) is the process of transformation, as the person creates a new self through studying and learning the Taekwondo techniques.

　 The Taekwondowon is situated on a 2.31 million square meter piece of land in Muju-gun (county). It includes the T1 Arena which can accommodate up to 4,500 spectators, the T1 Theater that can accommodate 400 people, the Taekwondo Museum, an experience center and facilities for learning Taekwondo.

Article by Wi Tack-whan, Yoon Sojung
Korea.net Staff Writers
Photos courtesy of the Taekwondowon
whan23@korea.kr